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Alcalá is a small town in the UNESCO World Heritage listed Coffee Cultural Landscape of Colombia. It’s located in the department of Valle del Cauca.
History
Alcalá was originally founded in 1791 by a Spanish Creole from Cartago, Sebastián de Marisancena. He was registered as a trader in Cádiz, Spain, and originally named the town San Sebastián de la Balsa. The name was later shortened to La Balsa and renamed Alcalá in 1919, when it became its own municipality.
The main industry is agriculture, which is dominated by coffee. Other crops include yucca, sugarcane, plantains, and oranges.
Plaza
I’d passed through Alcalá several times before and decided to make a quick stop. There really isn’t anything of interest in the town, but the plaza is pleasant. A single tree with far reaching branches sits in the center, providing shade to the entire plaza.
The church on the plaza is nice to visit. Notice the parquet ceiling.
Getting There
To get to Alcalá, it costs COP$4,500 from the bus terminal in Pereira with Expreso Alcalá, the only direct service. It takes about 90 minutes and buses leave roughly every 15 minutes. To get to nearby Quimbaya, it costs COP$1600. Buses leave from the terminal and also pass by the main plaza.
